SAGINAW - Sault Ste. Marie took advantage of a game misconduct penalty on Saginaw Spirit center Justin Kea, scoring the gamewinner at the 16:45 mark of the third period for a 4-3 win Saturday at The Dow Event Center.

The loss ends a four-game winning streak as the Spirit (25-23) head to Plymouth to play a 2 p.m. game Sunday.

"There are little things we didn't do ... on the tying goal we had three opportunities to get the puck out of our end but we didn't do it," Saginaw coach Greg Gilbert said. "You have to do the little things. When you don't, bad things happen."

The Spirit broke a 2-2 tie just 22 seconds into the third period when Garret Ross knocked in a rebound off assists from Vincent Trocheck and Brad Walch. But Matt Fuller beat Spirit goalie Clint Windsor to tie the game.

Neither team took control until Kea checked Greyhound defenseman Ryan Sproul from behind at the 13:46 mark. Kea was given a five-minute fighting penalty, a five-minute check from behind penalty and a game misconduct.

"Kea hit him just as he turned, when he was finishing his check," Gilbert said. "Sometimes that happens."

The Spirit killed almost three minutes of the penalty before Brett Findlay scored the gamewinner off assists from Michael Schumacher and Nick Cousins.

The Spirit opened the game strong. Saginaw barely gave the announced crowd of 3,757 a chance to sit down, scoring 23 seconds into the game.

Michael Fine won a faceoff in the Soo end and Josh Shalla took advantage for his 29th goal of the season.

Cousins, however, answered less than a minute later for the 22-26 Greyhounds to tie the game.

It stayed 1-1 for the period thanks to Windsor, who had 20 saves in the first period.

"Between the first goal and the third, we didn't do much," Gilbert said. "We battled in the third."

Brandon Saad finished the first period with his 20th goal, capitalizing on a power play to extend his points streak to 11 games and give the Spirit a 2-1 lead after one period.

In those 11 games, Saad has eight goals and 14 assists. Saad did not have an assist Saturday, ending his streak at eight games.

Shalla and Vincent Trochek assisted on the goal.

The Greyhounds continued to pepper Windsor with shots in the second period, building a 36-22 advantage after two periods.

Sproul tied the game for the Greyounds off assists from David Broll and Carson Dubchak. It was the 13th goal for the Detroit Red Wings second-round draft pick, tying him for first in the OHL for defensemen.

The Greyhounds finished with a 43-32 shot advantage.

Jack Campbell earned the win in goal for the Soo, making 29 saves. Windsor made 39 saves in the Spirit loss.

Gilbert said Jake Paterson will probably start in goal Sunday against Plymouth.

"Clint faced about 50 shots ... that's tough to come back from with a 2 o'clock game in Plymouth," Gilbert said. "The way our weekend schedules have been, alternating goalies has worked. I doesn't make sense to send out a tired goalie."